College Park offers many opportunities for students to further pursue their passions. Extracurriculars such as theatre allow students to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes of some of the biggest plays, shows, and movies. One student in particular who has expressed her love of the art through her captivating performances is junior Bella Blanco.
When asked about her theatre origin, Blanco stated that the sense of community she found encouraged her to keep going.
“I’ve been in theatre since 7th grade and I first fell in love with it because of the people,” Blanco said, “I’ve met some of my closest friends in theatre and it’s the main reason why I keep auditioning and staying involved, because regardless of how competitive it can be it’s an incredible community that’s helped me be a lot more social and break out of my shell”
Blanco has been in 10 shows during her time at College Park, with her most recent being Parfumerie, playing Amalia. Although she fully embodied the character of Amalia, she explained her experience as Simon in her favorite show she’s been a part of.
“Oh gosh, picking my favorite show is really hard. There’s so many small things in every show that I’ve done that make them so lovable. Honestly, though, my favorite show will always be Lord of the Flies and my role as Simon,” Blanco said. “It was such a unique experience working with two different gender based casts, and although it was super chaotic, it was still so much fun because I was never alone and constantly laughing with someone because the cast and crew truly were like a family. That show may have been difficult by itself, but what made the show so special to me was the memories I made with my friends, and that Simon was just an awesome role to play in general.”
Regardless of your passion, whether that be theatre, sports, art, etc., there is no doubt that there has been at least one person you look up to who inspires you; for Blanco, that person is her technical director, Mr. Beineman. “He helped me get into tech by making it such a welcoming place. He’s been a really big rock this year in reminding me why I love theatre so much. It’s a form of expression that you don’t get anywhere else.” Blanco said. “Theatre gives you the ability to feel, create, and live through the eyes of another while having fun with a group of people that become your family by the end of the show.”
As well as having much involvement in the College Park Theatre Department, Blanco is also recognized for her love of animals and the Agricultural program at our school as well. “I’ve been a chapter FFA officer for almost 2 years now, and do dog sitting as a side gig. Theater’s been a huge part of my life for the past 5 years, and it will always be my biggest passion. It’s why, although I was so busy this year balancing all of my clubs on top of FFA and theater, I made it work because I love it and I thought it was worth all the time management and hard work.”
She goes on to explain her plans after high school and how FFA will play a major part in them.
“My plans after high school sadly have nothing to do with theater. I am super involved in agriculture and FFA because I want to be a veterinarian with a specialty in Wildlife/ Conservation Medicine when I’m older. I will always love theatre, but working with animals has always been a dream of mine since I was little. I do want to keep doing theatre by getting involved in community or college theatre later on in the future; until then, acting will become a hobby of mine.” Blanco said.
